*Update: Embiid commits to Team USA* (France gives Embiid til Oct 10th to commit)

[D.Brasco]

I am not at all surprised that the biggest frontrunning choke artist in the league chose the easiest possible path.

He did it for his son man

Read on Twitter

[baldur]

The guy is so desperate.

[One Last Shot]

15 pages discussions for someone who's not even healthy for 6 straight years in the playoffs. Do you guys think Embiid will play in the olympics with torn meniscus or leg injury? Otherwise it's a moot point. He will be injured in the playoffs anyway it's like an annual thing in his career.

[QingJames]

I am not at all surprised that the biggest frontrunning choke artist in the league chose the easiest possible path.

He did it for his son man

Read on Twitter

Yeah, I guess he wanted to get another fake accolade to his name so his son doesn’t get bullied in school like Chris Paul’s kid.

[LoveMyRaps]

I am not at all surprised that the biggest frontrunning choke artist in the league chose the easiest possible path.

He did it for his son man

Read on Twitter

LMAOOOO don’t be fooled by his sad ass excuse.
Dudes a loser that just wants a championship of some sort, cuz an NBA title ain’t happening.

Been cheering for Embiid since his KU days, but lost a ton of respect for him today.

What an absolute loser. Traitor.

[DrPampiloni]

This is obviously an utter travesty. Considering Cameroon is still in position to qualify and would need him very much, he is nothing short of a traitor.

Before you mention all the US born naturalised players for other teams, spare me. They were never given the option to play for their country.

[azcatz11]

I am not at all surprised that the biggest frontrunning choke artist in the league chose the easiest possible path.

He did it for his son man

Read on Twitter

Pathetic excuse. Don’t fall for that crap.

[D.Brasco]

I am not at all surprised that the biggest frontrunning choke artist in the league chose the easiest possible path.

He did it for his son man

Read on Twitter

LMAOOOO don’t be fooled by his sad ass excuse.
Dudes a loser that just wants a championship of some sort, cuz an NBA title ain’t happening.

Been cheering for Embiid since his KU days, but lost a ton of respect for him today.

What an absolute loser. Traitor.

Are you Cameroonian? I don't have any skin in the game but he's lived in the US since he was 16 and that country gave him everything he has really.

I know immigrants who left their homelands at similar ages and don't feel any specific allegiance to their country of birth and I don't think they should have to.

The rumor of him playing for France was the odd one as he never actually lived there.

[DrPampiloni]

He did it for his son man

Read on Twitter

LMAOOOO don’t be fooled by his sad ass excuse.
Dudes a loser that just wants a championship of some sort, cuz an NBA title ain’t happening.

Been cheering for Embiid since his KU days, but lost a ton of respect for him today.

What an absolute loser. Traitor.

Are you Cameroonian? I don't have any skin in the game but he's lived in the US since he was 16 and that country gave him everything he has really.

I know immigrants who left their homelands at similar ages and don't feel any specific allegiance to their country of birth and I don't think they should have to.

The rumor of him playing for France was the odd one as he never actually lived there.

Except he was discovered and nurtured by a fellow Cameroonian NBA player, Luc Mbah a Moute, who must be really proud of him right now.

[Jfh20]

Not sure how anyone call this a legit competition at that point.. imagine R9 playing for Germany at the 2002 World Cup..

[Jabroni Lames]

Almost all of Canada, USA and France’s best players are technically African, if you trace the ancestry back far enough, so it’s kind of hypocritical to point at Embiid and say, “hey… he’s not American or French, he’s African.”

[axeman23]

Something tells me that if Embiid had chosen France, people would be a lot less upset about his decision despite that fact that he has far fewer ties to that country than he does the US. No one gives crap to US-born players choosing to play for other countries that have much weaker national teams.

That said, I do agree that FIBA, FIFA, Olympics etc. are too liberal when it comes to allowing players to choose which country they want to represent. I remember thinking how impressive it was that the Filipino Women's Soccer team made some noise at the World Cup. Then feeling disappointed when I found out their roster was basically just composed of American soccer players with some Filipino blood.

You're probably right that people would have been less upset, though I'm sure France and Embiid would have been mocked pretty hard there. He has little to no ties to France.

The reaction you're seeing is really a function of the US having by far the most basketball talent in the world. So it's a blow to everyone else when the favorites with such an outsized advantage bring in re-enforcements at maybe the 1 area they don't have a clear advantage over every one else. Let's be honest, the US probably wins without Embiid. That's what's frustrating about this.

And Embiid probably loses on another team. The logic works both ways. Players aren't dumb. The US is by and far the most dominant team yes, but it's also nearly a lost cause to try to compete with them especially with France and Cameroon. Both of Frances best players are centers, so Embiid is going to be a 3rd center? How is that going to work?

Again, I've posted that he has the biggest connection to the US after Cameroon.

Cameroon, lol, they'd be lucky to even make the Olympics let alone compete at all. Seems more like people just don't like Embiid and want to find another way to **** on in.

Why would the "deserved NBA MVP" be the third stringer over a rookie and a 1 dimensional defensive player?

[eyeatoma]

You're probably right that people would have been less upset, though I'm sure France and Embiid would have been mocked pretty hard there. He has little to no ties to France.

The reaction you're seeing is really a function of the US having by far the most basketball talent in the world. So it's a blow to everyone else when the favorites with such an outsized advantage bring in re-enforcements at maybe the 1 area they don't have a clear advantage over every one else. Let's be honest, the US probably wins without Embiid. That's what's frustrating about this.

And Embiid probably loses on another team. The logic works both ways. Players aren't dumb. The US is by and far the most dominant team yes, but it's also nearly a lost cause to try to compete with them especially with France and Cameroon. Both of Frances best players are centers, so Embiid is going to be a 3rd center? How is that going to work?

Again, I've posted that he has the biggest connection to the US after Cameroon.

Cameroon, lol, they'd be lucky to even make the Olympics let alone compete at all. Seems more like people just don't like Embiid and want to find another way to **** on in.

Why would the "deserved NBA MVP" be the third stringer over a rookie and a 1 dimensional defensive player?

They will obviously want minutes...

[ForeverTFC]

Something tells me that if Embiid had chosen France, people would be a lot less upset about his decision despite that fact that he has far fewer ties to that country than he does the US. No one gives crap to US-born players choosing to play for other countries that have much weaker national teams.

That said, I do agree that FIBA, FIFA, Olympics etc. are too liberal when it comes to allowing players to choose which country they want to represent. I remember thinking how impressive it was that the Filipino Women's Soccer team made some noise at the World Cup. Then feeling disappointed when I found out their roster was basically just composed of American soccer players with some Filipino blood.

You're probably right that people would have been less upset, though I'm sure France and Embiid would have been mocked pretty hard there. He has little to no ties to France.

The reaction you're seeing is really a function of the US having by far the most basketball talent in the world. So it's a blow to everyone else when the favorites with such an outsized advantage bring in re-enforcements at maybe the 1 area they don't have a clear advantage over every one else. Let's be honest, the US probably wins without Embiid. That's what's frustrating about this.

And Embiid probably loses on another team. The logic works both ways. Players aren't dumb. The US is by and far the most dominant team yes, but it's also nearly a lost cause to try to compete with them especially with France and Cameroon. Both of Frances best players are centers, so Embiid is going to be a 3rd center? How is that going to work?

Again, I've posted that he has the biggest connection to the US after Cameroon.

Cameroon, lol, they'd be lucky to even make the Olympics let alone compete at all. Seems more like people just don't like Embiid and want to find another way to **** on in.

You know, I don't disagree with anything you said (other than him being a 3rd stringer on France). But if you think this paints Embiid in a positive light, I have some news for you man: what you just said is exactly why people call Embiid a front runner.

Watch this - your points, my conclusion:

Embiid probably loses on another team. The US is by and far the most dominant team, it's also nearly a lost cause to try to compete with them especially with France and Cameroon. Cameroon would be lucky to even make the Olympics let alone compete at all. So of course, Embiid runs away and takes the easy road to a medal that would have been won without him anyways - its par for the course when it comes to this front runner chasing undeserved accolades.

[axeman23]

He did it for his son man

Read on Twitter

LMAOOOO don’t be fooled by his sad ass excuse.
Dudes a loser that just wants a championship of some sort, cuz an NBA title ain’t happening.

Been cheering for Embiid since his KU days, but lost a ton of respect for him today.

What an absolute loser. Traitor.

Are you Cameroonian? I don't have any skin in the game but he's lived in the US since he was 16 and that country gave him everything he has really.

I know immigrants who left their homelands at similar ages and don't feel any specific allegiance to their country of birth and I don't think they should have to.

The rumor of him playing for France was the odd one as he never actually lived there.

The country wouldn't have given him SQUAT if he was 6'0 instead of 7'0, he'd just be another "mooching immigrant". His Cameroonian parents gave him the genetic lotto win, not the good old "Stars & Stripes"... And yes, agree about France having the weakest argument.

[DaPessimist]

I don't think it's that big of a deal. Maybe if Cameroon was a borderline contender.

Team USA can actually use Embiid.

[jerok]

Can't say that I'm not disappointed. Lost a little respect for Joel.

I was hoping he would play for Cameroon, his country.
Pascal, Embiid likely best front court international play.
Who knows how far they can go, it'll be huge for the country and inspire countless youngsters to follow them.

Missed on a bigger long lasting impact for a guaranteed medal.

Not to mention Koloko as a backup, who has a very FIBA-friendly game.

They can even start Pascal as SF. Since Joel and him has some kind of shooting. Let Christian roam the paint.
Get Mbah a Moute out of retirement. That's a huge starting lineup.
Its just too bad for Cameroon and international basketball.

[Lakers In 5]

I don't think it's that big of a deal. Maybe if Cameroon was a borderline contender.

Team USA can actually use Embiid.

Picking countries based on their chance of winning is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard.

[Mephariel]

Lol the guy left Cameroon for a better life in America, he’s American. The internationals are just mad that they won’t get to do this silly thing where we pretend the U.S. isn’t far and away the best at basketball because someone else won a non-Olympic tournament no one cares about.

The fact that the US is the best at basketball cannot be doubted by anyone.
It would be insane not to be with a population of 330 millions though.

What should trouble you is how Serbia, a nation of 4 millions has the same amount of golds as you in world championships.
Safe to say that if Serbia had the same population as yours(which means a far greater pool to pick players) they would have been the far and away best.

But not the Olympic, when the best US players play. By your logic, India and China should have the best basketball players right? If Serbia has a population of 330 million, the country would have developed differently. Basketball may not even be that popular.

Also, countries like Serbia hides behind single-elimination tournaments. How many times is Serbia going to beat USA in a seven game series?

[Lakers In 5]

Let the man do what he wants. He has valid reasons.

Read on Twitter

?t=RokUegFOXH8cOenB5p81Mg&s=19

The reaction here is sad...

I presume you will be advocating for Giannis Antetokounmpo to play for Team USA in the 2028 Olympics? He would have spent more time here than Embiid has right now, his son was born here yada, yada, yada….

I’m curious what sort of conspiracy theory in regards to the GB you will cook up.